Life’s most challenging questions seem to be those that begin with the word
why. “Why is life so hard?” “Why is there so much sorrow, hate, and unhappiness
in the world?” “Why does death take the young?” And “why must the innocent
suffer?” We all have wrestled with such questions from time to time as we
struggle with the vicissitudes of mortality. I particularly want to talk to the
younger members of God’s family about why I believe the only satisfying answers
to such questions come from the comforting perspective of faith in our Heavenly
Father and his eternal plan for our happiness.
The prophet Alma called the plan “the great plan of happiness” (Alma 42:8). It
is known more commonly as the plan of salvation. It is beautiful in its
simplicity to all who seek prayerfully to know and understand the true meaning
and purpose of life.
Through prophets past and present, God has revealed the doctrines of his “great
plan of happiness.” It consists of infinite, eternal, absolute, unchanging
principles. From Alma we learn that “God gave unto them commandments, after
having made known … the plan of redemption” (Alma 12:32; emphasis added). The
plan teaches that all who have or will live on earth are the spirit children of
heavenly parents. We lived with them before coming to this earth to receive our
bodies of flesh and bone.
“If Adam [and Eve] had not transgressed [they] would not have fallen, but [they]
would have remained in the garden of Eden. …
“And they would have had no children; wherefore they would have remained in a
state of innocence, having no joy. …
“Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy” (2 Ne.
2:22-23, 25).
After the Fall, God instructed Adam to cleave unto his wife, Eve (see Moses
3:24; D&C 42:22). “God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish
the earth” (Gen. 1:28), a commandment that has never been rescinded.
Our Father’s plan provides for redemption from the Fall through the atonement of
Jesus Christ. As the Only Begotten Son of God and the only sinless person to
live on this earth, he made a perfect atonement for all mankind. It applies to
everyone unconditionally as it pertains to the resurrection from temporal, or
physical, death, for all shall rise from the dead with immortal bodies as a
result of the Atonement. However, the Atonement is conditional as it pertains to
each person’s individual sins. It touches everyone to the degree that he or she
has faith in Jesus Christ, repents, and obeys the gospel. Exaltation and eternal
life with God are reserved for those who keep the commandments.
Mortality, then, is the time to test our ability to understand our Heavenly
Father’s plan and, of course, our willingness to be obedient. Obedience is
essential to obtain exaltation and eternal life. King Benjamin explained that
“the Lord God hath sent his holy prophets among all the children of men, to
declare these things to every kindred, nation, and tongue, that thereby
whosoever should believe [in] Christ, … the same might receive remission of
their sins, and rejoice with exceedingly great joy” (Mosiah 3:13).
He also taught his people: “Consider on the blessed and happy state of those
that keep the commandments of God. For behold, they are blessed in all things,
both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold out faithful to the end they are
received into heaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of
never-ending happiness” (Mosiah 2:41).
What a wonderful, warm, and reassuring thing it is to know that the primary
objective of the very God of heaven is “the immortality and eternal life of man”
(Moses 1:39), or, in other words, our eternal happiness and joy. Sometimes I
wonder if we really appreciate what that means and how it should affect our
lives. We must give adequate attention to the doctrines of happiness—real
happiness, infinite and eternal. They should be the objective of everything we
teach in the Church and of everything we do.
The Prophet Joseph Smith said, “We cannot keep all the commandments without
first knowing them, and we cannot expect to know all, or more than we now know
unless we comply with or keep those we have already received” (Teachings of the
Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 256).
We must understand the basic doctrines and receive the saving ordinances that
are essential for our eternal exaltation and happiness. Our present mortal state
places a veil of forgetfulness over our minds, allowing us to prove ourselves
able to “do all things whatsoever the Lord [our] God shall command” (Abr. 3:25).
But even though our present long-range view of eternity is limited, the Lord has
not left us without direction. He has provided scriptures and Apostles and
prophets through whom he has revealed his plan for our exaltation and eternal
life. And we have the Comforter, the Holy Ghost, to guide us.
The Prophet Joseph Smith taught that “in obedience there is joy and peace
unspotted, unalloyed; and as God has designed our happiness … he never has—He
never will institute an ordinance or give a commandment to His people that is
not calculated in its nature to promote that happiness which He has designed,
and which will not end in the greatest amount of good and glory to those who
become the recipients of his law and ordinances” (Teachings of the Prophet
Joseph Smith, pp. 256-57).
Critical to our knowledge of the plan of happiness is an understanding of the
great governing principle of agency. A person does not have to spend much time
in the schoolroom of mortality to realize that Heavenly Father’s plan does not
provide for blissful happiness at every step along our mortal journey. Life is
filled with harsh realities that tug at the heart and tear away at the soul.
One cannot look at suffering, regardless of its causes or origins, without
feeling pain and compassion. I can understand why someone who lacks an eternal
perspective might see the horrifying news footage of starving children and man’s
inhumanity to man and shake a fist at the heavens and cry, “If there is a God,
how could he allow such things to happen?”
The answer is not easy, but it isn’t that complicated, either. God has put his
plan in motion. It proceeds through natural laws that are, in fact, God’s laws.
Since they are his, he is bound by them, as are we. I recognize for purposes we
mortals may not understand, the Lord can control the elements. For the most
part, however, he does not cause but he allows nature to run its course. In this
imperfect world, bad things sometimes happen. The earth’s rocky underpinnings
occasionally shift and move, resulting in earthquakes. Certain weather patterns
cause hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, and drought.
Much adversity is man-made. Men’s hearts turn cold, and the spirit of Satan
controls their actions. In foreseeing the day of suffering in our time, the
Savior said, “The love of men shall wax cold, and iniquity shall abound” (D&C
45:27). Violence, immorality, and other evils run rampant on the earth. Much
adversity has its origin in the principle of agency.
We tend to think of agency as a personal matter. If we ask someone to define
“moral agency,” the answer will probably be something like this: “Moral agency
means I am free to make choices for myself.” Often overlooked is the fact that
choices have consequences; we forget also that agency offers the same privilege
of choice to others. At times we will be affected adversely by the way other
people choose to exercise their agency. Our Heavenly Father feels so strongly
about protecting our agency that he allows his children to exercise it, either
for good or for evil.
The plan of happiness is available to all of his children. If the world would
embrace and live it, peace, joy, and plenty would abound on the earth. Much of
the suffering we know today would be eliminated if people throughout the world
would understand and live the gospel.
We mortals have a limited view of life from the eternal perspective. But if we
know and understand Heavenly Father’s plan, we realize that dealing with
adversity is one of the chief ways we are tested. Our faith in our Heavenly
Father and his beloved Son, Jesus Christ, is the source of inner strength.
Through faith we can find peace, comfort, and the courage to endure. As we trust
in God and his plan for our happiness with all our hearts and lean not unto our
own understanding (see Prov. 3:5), hope is born. Hope grows out of faith and
gives meaning and purpose to all we do. It can give us comfort in the face of
adversity, strength in times of trial, and peace when we have reason for doubt
or anguish.
By focusing on and living the principles of Heavenly Father’s plan for our
eternal happiness, we can separate ourselves from the wickedness of the world.
If we are anchored to the correct understanding of who we are, why we are here
on this earth, and where we can go after this mortal life, Satan cannot threaten
our happiness through any form of temptation. If we are determined to live by
Heavenly Father’s plan, we will use our God-given moral agency to make decisions
based on revealed truth, not on the opinions of others or on the current
thinking of the world.
For example, we are moving into an era when the Information Superhighway will
have the capacity to cut a wide path right into our homes. With fiber-optic
computer technology, it can link homes to an incredible assortment of messages
and influences. This highway will be the conduit of information that will have
the power to change our culture and, thus, our very lives. As we consider the
importance of nourishing our intellects with the promising potential of
Superhighway resources, we must be ever cautious about the choices of programs
and the impact of media in our lives. Those who understand our Heavenly Father’s
eternal plan for the joy and happiness of his children will be better prepared
to make good choices as the Information Superhighway rolls across the world. The
computer, television, satellite, microchip, and even the telephone, all can
bless and enhance our lives—or can make them miserable.
This is why making life’s decisions based on our Heavenly Father’s plan is so
important. If we truly believe that we are his children and are here on earth to
learn to live, by faith, the teachings and the commandments of God and his Only
Begotten Son, Jesus Christ, we will make the choices that will qualify us to one
day return to live in their presence.
Understanding the gospel of Jesus Christ and following him as our Savior and our
Redeemer will influence every aspect of our lives, including all of our
individual choices. Those who live according to Heavenly Father’s eternal plan
will not want to absorb any information that is illicit or untoward, nor will
they destroy their spiritual sensitivity through immoral acts or the consumption
of any harmful substances. Neither will they search for doctrinal loopholes to
find reasons to challenge the ordained leadership of the Church nor tamper with
the simple truths of the gospel. They will not attempt to justify any lifestyle
that is contrary to the plan of happiness. If they do any of these things, they
will never find the inner peace and joy that living the gospel brings. All of
our Father’s children can seek prayerfully to know who they are and can find
real happiness if they obey God’s commandments and endure to the end. President
Howard W. Hunter said:
“There is nothing sad or gloomy about a person who accepts the truths of the
gospel and incorporates these principles in his daily living. God wants all of
his children to be joyous and glad, and we can have this blessing if we are
willing to keep his commandments and live by his word in all that we do” (in
Conference Report, Sept./Oct. 1961, p. 108).
When the plan of our Heavenly Father is understood, the answers to life’s
questions are found in the gospel of Christ. May we learn to accept with faith
the doctrines and teachings of the gospel and accept the plan of salvation with
believing hearts and minds. Always know, brothers and sisters, that the leaders
of the Church understand and accept the gospel plan and will defend it at all
times and in all places.
My testimony coincides with the testimony of the beloved Apostle John: “If ye
know these things, happy are ye if ye do them” (John 13:17). May we search for
the doctrines and commandments of the great plan of happiness; and when we learn
them, may we embrace them willingly. By doing so we will find lasting joy,
happiness, and peace. Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto
you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled,
neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27).
I leave you my testimony that the Lord’s promise of peace comes from knowing and
living the principles of our Heavenly Father’s plan of happiness. May his peace
and joy be with all of us I humbly pray in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
© 2003 Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.
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